Firefighter Collapses, Dies After Training Exercise

A female firefighter's apprentice collapsed during a routine training exercise in west Baltimore Friday and later died, city fire officials said.

Rachael Wilson, 29, was rushed to Shock Trauma around noon, where she was pronounced dead about an hour later, Baltimore Fire Department Chief Public Information Officer Kevin Cartwright said. She was one of several firefighters and apprentices participating in a routine exercise on a three-story vacant rowhome.

Two others -- a firefighter paramedic and an emergency vehicle driver -- suffered minor burns, Cartwright said. They were taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Burn Center for treatment. One was treated and released and the other suffered from second-degree burns, officials said.

Cartwright said there were no reports of structural damage or anything out of the ordinary when Wilson collapsed. The incident is still under investigation.

The firefighters were participating in a six-month training program along Calverton Road and Frederick Avenue. The program is supposed to run until the end of March, Cartwright said.